China ups efforts to rid food of illegal additives

China plans to launch a four-month food safety campaign to get rid of illegal or excessive chemicals in food as a part of the country’s latest effort to restore its image after the tainted milk scandal. The campaign will be conducted by nine central government departments and will target food and additive producers across the country. The drive will take place in three phases. First, companies are asked to conduct internal checks over the next month, then authorities will spend the next two months inspecting meat, diary and other product producers during the second phase and the third phase will focus on stemming the supply of illegal food additives by punishing producers and companies that use such chemicals. --posted by Catherine Gao

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"[W]e urge the Chinese leadership to postpone implementation of the [requirement that companies in China use Chinese-controlled info technology products] and grant an opportunity for discussion and dialogue for interested stakeholders with agencies responsible for the initiatives."

- An open letter from various business groups, including the American Chamber of Commerce in China, to "the honorable members of the Chinese Communist Party Central Leading Group for Cyberspace Affairs," dated January 28, 2015.